Healthcare in Spain

Tumbit Approved Partner

If you can afford a private health insurance policy while living in Spain, you may find it well worth the money. Any Spaniard will tell you that the State health system is known for its material means, but not for it's "trato" - or the manner in which patients are treated.

Family doctors can often carry a high patient load and therefore can not be seen on demand. The less urgent your problem might seem, the longer you generally have to wait. Many Local Practice's often have a quirky system of making an appointment. In some cases you actually have to show up in person to get a ticket at 8am and then be prepared to estimate your place in the queue and come back later for your appointment! GP's usually have about 3 minutes to see each patient and make a prognosis. As many are conscientious and try to give at least 5 or 10 minutes to each patient, this can impact your place in the queue and the time you spend waiting!

The regional government guarantees limits to wait times to see a specialist, but in many cases these guarantees are nothing more than empty promises and appointment lists are simply closed once specialists are working to capacity and can not meet the needs of further patients within the guarantee time. Average waiting lists at hospitals are 50 days, with some specialties seeing patients faster and others taking months to get you in.

For all these reasons (and many more) those who can afford a private policy often supplement public health care with this alternative. This ensures that you will see a doctor promptly and be treated with dignity. Should the need arise for expensive, highly specialized care, your private physician will be able to guide you into the public system - and once again, this is where the public system is at its very best.

When you decide to consider private Health Insurance there are a number of policy types that Include different areas of cover. For example Maternity Cover, Dentistry and eye care. It is important to be clear about what elements you are interested in as you don't want a shock when you finally get around to reading the small print.

Tumbit recommends that you speak personally to a reputable Health Insurance Agent that speaks your own language and understands your exact requirements. Only then can they put together a quote for you and your family that covers everything you need.